Laughter Really IS the Best Medicine

If you knew that having a good time could keep you living healthy, wouldn’t you be out partying it up all the time?

Well, it’s true: Doctors say laughter has the ability to improve your mood, exercise your brain, mask pain and even strengthen your bonds with those who share a giggle with you.

Studies have shown that when a person tries to process a joke, areas of his or her brain that are important to learning and understanding are stimulated. That news means that when your brain is trying to understand a good side-splitter it is getting a “workout,” like it would from a brainteaser of Sudoku puzzle.

A hearty laugh also produces a chemical reaction that immediately lifts your mood, decreases pain and stress, and improves immunity, which can be suppressed by stress and pain.

If you would like to start benefiting from a little bit of humor, doctors say you should learn to keep an eye out for the silly things that happen every day, like a goofy coworker’s joke. In addition, you should never go to bed stressed out; if you are feeling under the weather, turn on a comedic show before you snooze.

What about you? How do you use laughter to brighten your day? [MSN]